The four missing seamen after the collision of two cargo ships in the North Sea off Germany are presumed to be dead.
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There is no hope left for the missing, the head of the German Central Command for Maritime Emergencies (CCME) said on Wednesday.
Earlier, one seaman was found dead and two others were rescued.
The names and nationalities of the sailors involved are yet to be released.
The accident occurred on early on Tuesday morning southwest of the island of Heligoland in a high-traffic shipping area. It is still not clear how it occurred.
The two cargo ships Polesie and Verity collided, causing the Verity to sink with seven crew members on board.
One sailor was found dead. Two other crew members were rescued from the water, said Christian Stipeldey, a spokesman for the German Sea Rescue Society.
The search for the four missing crewmen was hampered by darkness and difficult weather conditions.
At least eight vessels from various sea rescue agencies and other government departments had continued the search into the night, using thermal imaging cameras and night vision equipment. Three helicopters had also been involved in the search.
The Polesie, under the flag of the Bahamas, was sailing from Hamburg to northwest Spain when it collided with the Verity, sailing under the British flag on its way from Germany to Britain.
German Transport Minister Volker Wissing expressed his sympathy to the Verity crew members, relatives and rescue teams.
Australian Associated Press
